In my last blog, I wrote about Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf and the influence he had on denominations’ focus on having a personal relationship with Christ and a more emotional experience of salvation, and on mission work/ evangelization.
But Zinzendorf also was part of a movement that many Christians today don’t know about. Zinzendorf was part of a prayer meeting that—through hundreds of men and women who took turns praying—continued twenty-four hours every day for more than one hundred years.
Yes, a prayer meeting that lasted for more than 100 years.
In 1727, two years after the Moravians founded their community, “Herrnhut,” which means “the Lord’s watch,” on Zinzendorf’s land, they began a prayer meeting. According to Timothy Paul Jones, Vice President at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the rationale of the prayer meeting was simple: “The sacred fire was never permitted to go out on the alter (Leviticus 6:13).” This congregation saw itself as a temple of the living God, “wherein he has his altar and fire, and the intercession of his saints should incessantly rise up to him.” (Source: TimothyPaulJones.com)
On August 27th, 1727, twenty-four men and twenty-four women covenanted to spend one hour each day in scheduled prayer. Some others enlisted in “hourly Intercession.” The average age of those who devoted themselves to this prayer vigil was about 30 years. Zinzendorf was just 27 years old. According to ChristianityToday.com, “Six months after the beginning of the prayer watch, the count suggested to his fellow Moravians the challenge of a bold evangelism aimed at the West Indies, Greenland, Turkey, and Lapland. Some were skeptical, but Zinzendorf persisted. Twenty-six Moravians stepped forward the next day to volunteer for world missions wherever the Lord led.”
According to Jones, “God used the Moravians, on a trip across the Atlantic Ocean, to convict John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, of his need for the gospel.”
By 1760, the Moravians had established missionary colonies in the West Indies, in Greenland, and among the Native Americans of the northeastern American colonies, as well as sending missionaries to Livonia, the shores of the Baltic Sea, to Suriname, to the islands of the East Indies, to South Africa, South America, and to the African slaves of South Carolina.
Martin Kim, in an article on revivalandreformation.org, states, “One of the churches that the Moravians started sent out 200 missionaries. One of the Moravian missionary teams voluntarily sold themselves into slavery so that they could identify with slaves and share the gospel with them. The Moravian Brethren, led by Zinzendorf, were responsible for some of the most inspirational and sacrificial stories in the history of missions. The Moravians are credited with starting the modern missionary movement.
By 1791, 65 years after the commencement of the prayer vigil, the small Moravian community had sent 300 missionaries to the ends of the earth. One historian estimates that the Moravians would be the largest denomination in the world except that whenever they planted a new church they gave it away to another denomination.
The 100-year prayer meeting concluded, but its influence lives on, through missions—and through prayer. According to Kim, “Recently, inspired by the story of Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians, together with other personal revival experiences, the dream of a united prayer room that would be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, accessible to people all over the world was planted in several hearts. 24/7 United Prayer is a blessing that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic.” 24/7 United Prayer is a global prayer initiative that seeks to promote revival. Christians from around the world are daily uniting in prayer via Zoom. Through the power of united prayer, lives are being revived and transformed.
You can get involved by joining in prayer or through donating funds to keep the movement going. Visit the website, “24/7unitedprayer.org.” The greatest needs they have at this time are for “Spirit-filled facilitators who can strengthen existing prayer calls and launch new ones, those who can assist on the tech side of things to help the Zoom calls go smoothly, and a committed volunteer with graphic design experience.”
The 100-year prayer meeting, through the power of the Spirit, continues to make an impact today.